Washing machine



' vmfsam MAGHINE Filed may 25. 1935 2 sheets-#smeet l May 31, 193s.

R. H. wHrrELL-:Y 2,119,254

WASHING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 J2, JZ

Patented May 31, 1938 l PATENT OFFICE WASHING MACHINE Robert H.Whiteley, Oak Park, lll.

Application May 25, 1935, Serial' No. 23,414

2 Claims.

.The presentinvention relates to washing machines particularly adaptedto be used for washing clothes, and while the machine is primarilydesigned for use in the home, it may be constrcted in any size and usedcommercially as One of the objects of the invention is the provision ofan improved washing machine which is adapted to wash fabrics or clothesmore quickly with lesswear and tear on the garment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved washingmachine so constructed thatit'res'ults in a different and improved formof circulation of the water with respect tothe water, or both, so as toaccomplish its functions more efficiently than the devices of the priorart.

'Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved washingmachine which may be cheaply than the devices of` the prior art, butwhich is adapted to accomplish the same or bet- -ter results atalower'cost. l

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved washingmachine which is sturdy, simple in mechanical construction, compactgandeicient, and which is'adapted to be used with all of the usual washingmachine accessories, includthe agitators, sh'owing the shape of one typeof agitator vane, and its relation to the curved cylindrical bottom ofthe container;

Fig. 3 .is a fragmentary elevational view of the mechanism foramodification;

Fig. 4 is a similar'view of the mechanism of another modiiication;

Fig. 5 is aside elevational view taken from the right of Fig.'4, showinga fragmentof the mechanism for reciprocating the agitator.

-Referringto Fig. 1, the washing machine preferably comprises acontainer Il), which may be i" "substantially rectangular in plan butwhich is 55 clothing, or the clothing with respect to theV constructedmore simply andk therefore more `the drawings, of lwhich there arepreferably provided with a curved bottomwall II,'which is curved aboutthe center of the agitator shafts. The container I0 also comprises theend walls I2, top I3, and usual side walls, and the top is provided withan opening which may be closed by means of the door I4. Door I4 isprovided with an oiset hinge I5 so arranged that a rubber packing I6 maybe interposed between thedoor and the top wall I3, and theY fastener I1is preferably ofthe type adapted to draw the door into tight engagementwith the packing IB.

The end walls I2 are provided with apertures I8 for receiving thepacking gland I9, which has a threaded sleeve surrounding the shaft 20and is secured to the wall I2 by means of rivets 2l, which pass throughthe attaching flange.

VA packing 22 is compressed by means of the sleeve 23, which also servesas a thrust bearing for the drive pulley 24, and the shaft'ZIl mayextend into an auxiliary bearing 25, which is secured to an outersupporting plate 26.

The container Il) is supported upon a base 21,

vcomprising four angle iron legs having casters 28, the legs beingjoined by horizontal angle iron members 29 and by auxiliary angle ironmembers 30,- which are adapted to support the motor 3l.

The drive shaft 32 of the motor supports 'a drive pinion 33 and drivesby means of a V belt 34 a pulley 35 carried by cross shaft 36. Crossshaft 36 is supported in bearings 31 in the frame and carries a pair ofdrive pulleys 38, the structure being the same on both sides of themachine wherethe machine is provided with an agitator on both sides.

Pulley38 drives the larger pulleyv 24 by means of a V belt 39, and inthe embodiment shown in Fig. 1 both of the agitatorsCMl may be driven inv the same direction clockwise or counterclockwise,

depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor. The cross shaft36 is also provided with a beveled pinion 4I, which is adapted to drivethe shaft of the mechanical wringer 42 of the. usual type, which ismounted to swing in a horizontal plane ,about a vertical axis above thewashing machine.

The machine may be provided with a whirling drying device comprising aperforated receptacle 43, Ywhich is adapted to be rotated by anextension of the shaft 36, located in the housing 44, wherein thewhirling receptacle 43 is mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis.

The machineI may be used with or without aV basket 45, comprisinga wiremember, rectangular in plan, and adapted substantially to fit within thefree space inside the receptacle I0. Angle mining the position of thebasketv 45, and the basket is preferably provided with handles 41. 48indicates the clothing or fabric upon which the washing machine isacting, and the line 49 indicates the preferred water level, but Idesire it to be understood that other water levels may be employed.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the agitator 40 may comprise a disc 50 ofmetal, wood or other suitable material, which is provided with anaxially extending shaft 20. Agitator vanes 5I are provided on the disc5U, and any suitable number of vanes may be employed. y

My washer may be operated with one vanev or with two vanes equallyspaced from each other, or with three or four or more vanes. Each of thevanes is identical in shape, except left yhand or right hand vanes maybe provided, depending upon the direction of rotation of the vanes. Itwill be observed that the vanes are curved longitudinally at their backs52 and that the back extends upward at right angles to a flat base whichfits against the iiat disc 50.

Two or more apertures are provided for the reception of screw bolts 53which pass through the vanes and are threaded into the disc 50, theheads of the screw bolts being embedded in counterbores.

'I'he top 54 of the vane 5| may take the shape of a curved rib of thethickness shown, terminating in a peripherally extending point 55. Theouter lower edge 56 of the vane may be substantially cylindrical,curving with the edge of the disc 40. The vane increases in thicknessfrom its top to its base,v and has a sloping curved wall 51 extendingfrom the top 54 downto the forward curved edge 58, and the vane extendsfrom a point near the shaft 20 to a point near the periphery, but curvesforward in the direction of rotation in such a manner that water isthrown outward and in a direction longitudinally away from the shaft 20along the axis of the shaft.

'Ihe vanes act both by virtue of their displacement of the water onaccount of the volume of the vane and also by virtue of their shape anddirection of movement.

When the clothes are confined in a basket, then the washing actiontakes`place without contact between the clothing and the agitators,although movement of both the clothing and the water takes place, butwhen the clothing is not confined in the basket there is the additionalcirculation of the clothing and the rubbing action of the agitators onthe clothing.

Referring to Fig. 1, in this modification both of the agitators mayrotate in the same direction, and either or both may be provided withright hand or left hand agitators.

Referring now to Fig. 3, in this modification the motor 59 drives eitherthe reducing gears or the clutch 50, and drives a pinion 6l which drivesone spur gear 62 in one direction and the other spur gear 63 in theother direction. In this case,

therefore, the agitators rotate in opposite directions.

' The sloping face 51 of any agitatoris preferably arranged on the` sidetoward which the agitator is moving,.but these agitators may be arrangedoppositely, if desired.

Referring to Fig. 4, this is a modification in which the motor 64 bymeans of the pulleys 65, 66 and V belt 61 drives cross shaft 68. Crossshaft 68 is provided with a crank 69 having a pin 10 which is arrangedin a 'slot 1I in the arm 12. The arm 12 is pivoted at 13 and carries agear segment 14 at its opposite end, engaging the pinion 15 on theagitator shaft 20. In this case the agitators are reciprocated oroscillated, that is, rotate first in one direction and then in theother. This oscillating motion may be arranged so that both agitatorsare oscillating in the same direction at the same time, or so that theyare operating in opposite directions at the same time. Thesynchronization of the agitators or lack of synchronization depends onthe location of the arm 69 with respect to another arm 16 on the shaft68. When these arms are oppositely located at the same time, as shown inthe full lines, then the agitators rotate in opposite directions duringtheir oscillation; but when the right hand arm 69 is arranged as shownin dotted lines at 11, then the agitators will oscillate in the samedirection at thesame time.

It will thus be observed that I have invented an improved Washingmachine including' a pair of agitators arranged to oscillate or. rotateon a. horizontal axis. These agitatorsare adapted to cause the waterand/or clothing to move in an entirely different manner, whereby themotion of the clothing in the water, or the water with respect to it andthrough the clothing, effects a cleaning action in a shorter period oftime and more efciently than in the devices of the prior art.

.While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, manymodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes Withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a clothes washing machine, the combination of a container having ahemi-cylindrcal bottom portion and having substantially vertical endWalls, for receiving the washing iiuid and clothes, with a pair ofagitators, said agitators being mounted for rotation about horizontalaxes in said end walls, and said container being adapted to be filledwith cleaning iiuid to a point below the axes of the agitators, meansfor imparting a rotative motion to said agitators, each of saidagitators comprising a substantially fiat supporting disc adapted toextend into juxtaposition with the external cylindrical walls of saidcontainer, and each agitator having upon said supporting disc a pair ofagitator blades located on the side of said agitator-supporting disc,away from the adjacent wall of the container, said blades facing eachother upon oppositely disposed discs, each of said blades extending in ageneral radial direction with respect' to the axis of rotation'of eachagitator, and each blade having its rearward wall extending atsubstantially right angles to vthe surface of the disc and having itsforward 2. Ina clothes washing machine, the combina- I tion of acontainer having a hemi-cylindri'cal bottom portion and havingsubstantially vertical end walls, for receiving the washing fluid andclothes,

with a pair of agitators, said agitators being mounted for rotationabout horizontal axes in said end walls, and said container beingadapted to be lled with cleaning uid to a point below the axes oftheagitators, means for imparting a rotative motion to said agitators, eachoi' said agitators comprising a substantially fiat supporting discadapted to extend into juxtaposition with the external cylindrical Wallsof said container, and each agitator having upon-said supporting disc apair -of agitator blades located on the side of said agitator-supportingdisc; away from the adjacent wall of the container, said blades fac ingeach other upon .oppositely disposed discs, each of said bladesextending in a general radial direction withrespect to the axis ofrotation o! each agitator, and each blade having its rearward wallextending at substantially right angles to the surface of the disc andhaving its forward wall extending at an obtuse angle with re-v specttosaid disc, whereby the blade occupies a substantial volume and isadapted to displace 5 cleaning uid and impel cleaning fluid axially fromsaid discs to establish in the 'cleaning iiuld a predetermined flow ofliquid from said impeller blades into the clothes and out of the clothesat points spaced from the blades, and back to the 10 supporting theclothes in spaced'relation to .the lilil blades.

* ROBERT H. WHI'IELEY.

